Hungry For Knowledge
by Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus
Summary: After they first met, Sanzo never thought that Goku could want anything other than food. Burial arc. One-Shot.


_**Hungry for Knowledge**_

**SUMMARY**: After they first met, Sanzo never thought that Goku could want anything other than food.

**GENRE**: General  
**RATED**: PG / K+  
**NOTABLE CONTENT**: Language

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Gensomaden Saiyuki_. That honor belongs to the great Kazuya Minekura.  
**STORY TAKES PLACE IN**: _Burial_ arc timeframe

* * *

**Hungry for Knowledge  
**_Aiselne P.N._

Hardly a week had passed since Sanzo adopted, or had taken in, or rescued, or salvaged, or…

Actually, the priest still could not find the right words to explain _what_ possessed him to bring home that damned monkey. Not that Sanzo was obligated to justify his actions. His reasons were his own, certainly no business of the other Chang'an monks. Everyone could (and did) bitch all they wanted about Lord Sanzo's troublemaking pet, but in the end Goku was here to stay…whether anyone, or Sanzo, liked it or not. Sanzo just wished he could understand – _for himself_ – why he willingly/masochistically welcomed into his life the world's biggest pain in the ass.

The rustling of papers, the opening and closing of doors, the scurrying of small feet, not to mention the incessant whines for food, had long since gotten on Sanzo's nerves. Why was that brat incapable of sitting still for five minutes? And even when Goku did sit still, the kid felt the incessant need to flap his gums. Food was a perfect pacifier but it was only temporary. Goku always had to be doing _something_, and that something almost always annoyed Sanzo. And then there was the chimp's endless chatter…

"Hey, Sanzo! What's this thing?"

"It's a vial of ink. If you spill it I'll kill you."

"Oh, okay. Hey! What's that thing up there called? It makes a pretty sound."

"A wind chime. Don't even think about trying to climb up there to touch it. Break it and I'll kill you."

"O-kay… Ooh! Then what about these? Wait! Don't tell me. They're grapes, right? Right?! Yummy!"

"_Wrong_! They're prayer beads and the last thing they need is to be baptized in your disgusting saliva. Now get those out of your mouth or I'll kill you!"

"Okay! Okay! Then how bout' this thing? And th' thing next to it…?"

Grinding his teeth, Sanzo slapped the newspaper against his desk. For over an hour he had attempted to read, but only managed to get through half of a one-column article. Alas, every five friggen seconds it was, "what's this?" and, "what's that?" and, "what's this?" and, "what's that?" and, "what's this?" and, "what's that?!" and, "what's this?!" and, "what's that?!" The Chinese water torture was less maddening!

Abandoning his reading, the blonde man growled as he rose from his seat. The combination of Sanzo's piercing purple eyes and his taller stature had more than easily sent Goku into submission. "This isn't a preschool, idiot. I don't have time for your inane questions. Why don't you dust off that five-hundred-year-old brain of yours, instead of pestering the hell out of me?"

Goku's face scrunched into a pout. He saw no crime in asking innocent questions. After spending five centuries staring at walls, bars, chains, and nothingness, almost everything in Sanzo's home looked new and exciting to the boyish heretic. His five-hundred-year-old brain was ready, willing, and able to absorb new knowledge like a sponge.

"You're th' one always callin' me 'idiot,'" Goku grumbled just loudly enough for the grumpy monk to hear.

"Rightfully so," Sanzo grunted, in dire need of another cigarette. He lit the last Marlboro in his pack and took a long drag. If the monkey hated the smoke, tough shit. That was the least Sanzo could do as payback for the chimp pissing him off all afternoon.

After wrinkling his nose, the brunette boy folded his arms and unexpectedly stood his ground. "Well, th' only way I'm gonna get smarter is by learnin' things and askin' about em'."

Blinking, Sanzo then exhaled a large smoky sigh. "So I have to hire a tutor for you now? Eating Chang'an out of house and home isn't enough for you? Not to mention all the trouble you've caused… It would be a miracle if any of the monks here would want to waste their time teaching you. Hell, why didn't anyone tell me that pets are such high maintenance?"

"I'm not a pet!"

Narrowing his eyes, Sanzo studied the boy's stubborn face. The Monkey King knew what he wanted, always. If he wanted food, he ate. If he wanted to fight, he fought, and if he wanted anything else then Goku damn well went for it. He did not necessarily want a teacher; Goku just wanted to learn more about the world he was invited back into after eons of isolation. This was one of his many ways to embrace freedom.

Holding his breath for only a second, Sanzo locked onto the brat's golden eyes. No, Goku was not a pet. He was more, and therefore he needed more.

Realizing the inevitable outcome of this argument, Sanzo released another long breath. "I'm no sempai," and he sure as hell would not become one to this child, not after what happened to Koumyou.

Goku did not hide his disappointment. Sure, it was always fun to learn new things, but half the fun was learning those things from Sanzo. And it was amusing to ruffle Sanzo's stiff feathers; always an adventure to see how Sanzo might react. The longer he stayed with the monk, the more Goku became fascinated with his new life – with the man who became Goku's new life.

Genjyo Sanzo was no sempai, and certainly not Goku's. Exactly _what_ was he to this stupid brat? What was the brat to _him_? Apparently, the brunette runt was not the only person with a heap of questions. If only Sanzo's cigarettes were in as ample of supply. Teaching a mindless chimp was bound to be a long, very long, tiresome experience.

But there was that hopeful look in Goku's eyes – those same eyes that empowered Sanzo's hand when he released the monkey from his prison. Now those damn eyes were too-perfectly synchronized with a pleading smile, pushing the remainder of Sanzo's buttons. Shit. The monkey _was_ learning.

"I'll say this only once, Goku," Sanzo began, grinding the remains of his cigarette into an ashtray. Sinking back into his seat, the blonde folded his fruitless newspaper and set it aside, clearing the desk for today's lesson. He was no teacher, but… well, it was not as though Sanzo knew exactly what the hell he was doing here, but he doubted professionalism mattered to Goku. The kid's smile had already doubled in size.

Sanzo locked his eyes with Goku's once more, glaring authoritatively. "You pay attention to what I say, or…"

"Or you'll kill me, right?" the smaller one teased, not to Sanzo's amusement. A second later the monkey's head was walloped by a notorious paper fan.

"Smart-ass."

**The End**

* * *

**A/N**: Thus concludes my first _Saiyuki_ fanfic (though not my first fanfic altogether)! :D

I was a little curious as to who might have schooled Goku before Hakkai came along. _Saiyuki Gaiden_ also minutely inspired this ficlet; I found it so adorable to see how quickly and eager Goku was to learn in Tenpou's library. Children are curious little things, after all. ;)

I absolutely can't wait for Sentai Filmworks to release the _Saiyuki Gaiden_ OVA overseas in January! Let's hope the English publication of the _Gaiden_ manga will soon follow. *crosses fingers*

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed my short story. Reviews are greatly appreciated.


End file.
